Pole talk - Rimfors bamboo ski poles

23 April, 202313 January, 2025Pole talk

Ski history and branded poles in Riksgränsen

Fabian Rimfors' fluorescent yellow bamboo ski poles and Salomon QST Blank at the peak of Nordalsfjället in Riksgränsen, Sweden.

Riksgränsen. Few places have the same mythical appeal to skiers as Riksgränsen. This magical mountain and powdery paradise right on the national […]

12 March, 20236 December, 2024Pole talk

Slalom racing with bamboo ski poles

Slalom skier Leo Rimfors train with SL poles made of Calcutta bamboo with punch guards/pole protectors.

Can you race and smash slalom gates with bamboo ski poles? Do they hold up for that? A hundred years ago, people […]

14 January, 20236 December, 2024Pole talk

Voilà! Les Bâtons d’Alain, but of bamboo

Robert skis cold powder in Kittelfjäll with his new Les Bâtons d'Alain-inspired bamboo poles.

When people started using ski poles thousands of years ago, there was no handle on the poles. There was no pole strap […]

23 December, 20226 December, 2024Pole talk

Durable ski touring poles for backcountry and hunting

Rimfors ski touring poles of bamboo with Åsnes' backcountry model Nansen.

Three years have passed since I built my first bamboo ski poles. During all this time, I have only promoted alpine ski […]

31 July, 20226 December, 2024Pole talk

DIY: How to make grip extensions for touring ski poles

Bamboo ski poles with extended grip from wound bark tanned reindeer hide.

Many skiers prefer poles with grip extensions. Especially when going backcountry ski touring. Extra grip area can sometimes be practical, uphill as […]

2 January, 202223 January, 2025Pole talk

Mr Swix and almost a million bamboo ski poles a year

Bamboo ski pole production at the Swix/Liljedahl's pole factory in Lillehammer, 1976. The following year, 900,000 pairs of ski poles were made from Tonkin bamboo. Here you can see how the bamboo was fed into the ovens from the back.

He is sometimes called “Mr Swix”. Harald Bjerke is the one who has worked the longest at the company, 50 years, and […]

23 October, 20216 December, 2024Pole talk

Old ski poles become like new—a DIY guide to restore bamboo poles

Snickarbänk med läderdelar, verktyg och skidstavar av bambu.

C like in century. Next year will be a hundred years since the polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen was awarded the Nobel Peace […]

28 September, 202111 January, 2025Pole talk

Upgraded ski pole ferrules firmly bite the bamboo

Aluminum ski pole ferrules and Calcutta bamboo.

As we were skiing in Borgafjäll last winter, suddenly my friend lost his basket. It was the ski pole ferrule that came […]

7 August, 20216 December, 2024Pole talk

The super bamboo has arrived—the man behind the bamboo tells his story

* At last, the long-awaited delivery with super bamboo has arrived after its long boat trip from the Orient. I have been […]

31 March, 20216 December, 2024Pole talk

The super bamboo from India: “iron bamboo”

The first ski poles made of solid Calcutta bamboo must of course be tested in the Rimfors run in Riksgränsen.

Suddenly I step on my own pole, with full boot power right above the basket. The bamboo cracks! Shit happens, I think […]